Wheel for vehicles.



W. T. SHEA a P. MANLEY.

WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

` APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22,

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

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W. lT. SHEA f?. MANLEY. WHEEL YOR VEHIGLES.

-APPLIOATIQH FILED 1mm zz, 1914.

1,1 1 3,583. Patented ont. 13, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. MANLEY FFlClt.

`WILLIAM T. SHEA AND FRANK MANLEY, F SILVER/TQM, GOLRAD.

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. Specification of Letters Patent.

lljatente Application iiled .Tune 22, i914. Serial No. 848,676;

To all yw71 om t may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM T. SHEA and FRANK MANLEY, citizens of the United States,'iesiding at Silverton, in the county of San Juan and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful ,improvements in Wheels for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being), had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in wheels for vehicles and has relation more particularly to a device of this general character in which springs are used to afford the resilient action now commonly accomplished by means of pneumatic tires or the like; and the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved device of this general character which will be strong and durable and not subject to rapid wear, the device being` especially applicable as a traction lwheel for an automobile or the like andv -which provides simple, eflicient and comparatively inexpensive cushion wheels adapted to noiselessly absorb all the shocks and jars incident to the travel of an automobile or the like.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and ar rangement of the several parts of our im proved wheel whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel featuresof the invention will be carefully defined in the appended claims.

ln order that our invention may be the better understood, we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the companying drawings, whereinm Figure 1 is an elevational view, with a' part in section, of a wheel constructed in accordance with an embodiment of our invention; Fig. 2 is `a radial sectional view taken through the device as illustrated in'v Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail elevational view, illustrating certain features of our invention as herein embodied; Fig. t

is a fragmentary perspective view of a part.

of one of the guards herein included; Fig. 5 is a view, detached, in perspective of one of the straps embodied in the present fform of our invention; Fig. 6 is a View, detached, in perspective of a clip employed in connection with the guards; Fig. 7 .is a fragmentary view in plan of a forni of tire Y i employed in connection witl and Fig. 8 is a view, detat skid lug adapted tobe employe of tire illustrated in ifi-g'. 7.

as disclosed in the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes a hub from which radiate the spoke members 2 formed of any desired material but preferably of hard wood and having suitably secured to the outer extremities thereof the rim 3. Y.

Disposed around the rim 3 and positioned conoentrically therewith is the outer rim 4 and interposed between said rims 3 and 4 are the radially disposed tensioning meinbers 5, herein disclosed as helical springs, the extremities whereof being suitably engaged with the opposed faces of the rims 4 and 5. The rims 3 and 4 are further united by the inclinedv tensioning members 6 also disclosed herein as helical members having their extremities secured to suitable lugs 7 positioned von the opposed fac fs of the rims 3 and 4 in order to resist any possible circumferential movement of the rims 3 and 4 relative to each other during` the travel of the wheel. We -also find it of advantage t0 interpose between the rims 3 and Il, in order to prevent crushing of the tensioning members, the straps 8 produced of any preferred material and having their inner extremities hingedly connected, as at 9, to the inner rim while the outer or free extremities thereof are provided with the elongated longitudinally disposed slots l0, through which directed the lugs 1lv depending from the outer rim, it being` observed that the pivotal connection 9 and the lug; 11 of each ofthe straps being in oil'se; relation so that said strap is disposed on an incline dependent upon the distance between said pivotal eonnection. 9 and the lug.l l

Projecting inwardly and radially from the outer' rim 4 and overlying the inner rim 3 and the spokes 2 thereof are the housings 12, one face whereof being substantially open. Each of the housings 12 has produced at the lower extremity of its free face the inwardly disposed lugs or ears 14 to which is adapted to be suitably secured the strap 15 also overlying the adjacent spoke 2 whereby it will be readily perceived that the housing 12 is maintained in operative :Ls-

semblage relative to the spoke. Positioned within the housing' 12 and to either side of lthe spoke 2 disposed therearound are the f1 facing the vehicle is the annular member 18 with which' slidably coaets the annular member 19 the inner marginal portion of whiclrbeing provided with the spaced annular plate 2O affording the pocket 21 into which the free marginal portion of the plate 18 is adapted to be accommodated whereby it will be readily perceived that. the annular member 19 is capable of movement relative to: the member 18 in order that no resistance will'be offered to the compression of the tensioning members included in our improved wheel as herein set forth. The members L 18 and 19 serve as an eiective medium to prevent foreign substances, suchas dirt or the like, from clogging or otherwise obstructing the whevelproper and in order to ail'ord a requisite, guard lor shield for the op' osite face of the wheel, we provide the dis 22, the central portion of which being oset outwardly and axially in order to free thehub 1 so that no obstruction will be offered to the operation of the wheel.

While any means lmay be employed for holding the member 19 and the disk 22 in operative engagement with the rim 2 which willv operate with facility, we prefer to employ the arrangement disclosed in the accompanying drawings and wherein the undermarginal surfaces. of the rim 4, at predetermined points therearound, are pro- 'rded with the transverse recesses 23, in which is adapted to be seated the lugs 24 'substantially L-shape inform and inserted tweenthe depending stems of the lugs "d the adjacent marginal portions of the embers is the annular expanding member V25, whereby it will be readily perceived that upon expanding the member 25 the member l1 and the disk 22 will be effectively clamped" into operative position, and for f which purpose we `find' it of advantage to have theouter faces of the annular members 2,5vv and the adjacent faces of the depending "stems ofthe lugs 24 disposed on corresponding bevelsr. lAs 'herein disclosed, each of the expanding members 25has its opposed extremities operatively connectedby the turnbuck-le'26-g of conventional form andoperating in a manner which is believed to be seltevident.

The rim 2 is adapted to have secured to the periphery thereof a suitable tread member, such as a rubber tire 27 as disclosed in Fig. 1, or, in lien thereof, a metallic tiro 28 as disclosed in Fig. 7 may be positioned therearound, such metallic tire being provided with the lugs 29 in order that a more eiiective gripping may be effected, cspecially for cross-country travel.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be' obvious that' a wheel constructed in accordance with our invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly woll adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be employed and it will also be obvious that our invention is susceptible of some change and modification without material departure from thc principles and spirit thereof and for this reason we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out our invention in practice.

We claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising an inner wheel, said inner wheel including radially disposed spokes, a rim surrounding the inner wheel, cushioning members interposed between the rim and the inner wheel, housings carried by the outer rim disposed inwardly and radially thereof and embracing the spokes of the inner wheel, and cushioning members interposed between the spokes and the sides of the housing, the inner extremities of adjacent housings being in 4contact one with the other.

2. A device of the character described comprising an inner wheel, said inner wheel including radially disposed spokes, a rim disposed around said inner wheel, cushioning members interposed between the rim and the inner wheel, housings secured to the rim and embracing the spokes of the inner I wheel, each of said housings having one facevopen, inwardly disposed lugs carried by. eachof the housings at the lower extremity of its open face, a strap secured to said lugs and overlying the adjacent spoke, and cushioning members interposed between the spokes and the sides of the housings.

ln testimony whereof we hereunto aiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM T. SHEA. FRANK MANLEY. Witnesses:

E. ll. FERGUSON, IDA M. SHEA. 

